Tag: Environment

After several weeks in Lima, I ran out of excuses why I couldn’t go to the zoo. My friend kept inviting me, insisting that I shouldn’t miss it. Joel really wanted to show off what seemed to be his favorite place.

Truth is, I get depressed at zoos. When I see the animals in the cages, staring at me with those pitifully sad faces, I feel their pain. Even the most advanced enclosures with natural settings are not the same as nature. I try to convince myself that the animals have been rescued and are being rehabilitated and cared for by loving keepers. If they were released into the wild they wouldn’t survive… so best keep them in the zoo.

But… I see little things that make me angry; empty water dishes, soiled cages, spectators rapping on the glass or taunting sleeping creatures. Garbage thrown carelessly into the enclosures, overcrowding or worse yet… solitary animals, and that, that just makes me sad. If you enjoy going to the zoo, don’t invite me along, I’ll probably spoil your day.

On my last weekend in Peru Joel finally convinced me to go with him to Parque de las Leyendas. I reluctantly agreed. It wasn’t a badzoo… I tried desperately not to over scrutinize the details. I breezed past the first section with animals from the mountains. I lingered in the botanical gardens and leisurely explored the ancient ruins (pre-Spaniard). I hurried away from exhibits with weepy eyed animals or crowds pressing against the glass.

After a snack we rented a pedal boat and floated around a big lagoon for a while… I managed to see the entire 3 sections (coastal, mountain and jungle) without having a total breakdown or being reduced to tears. It wasn’t a badzoo…

But the big treat came at the end. We were walking toward the gates to exit and I spotted a bus. It drew me in with its cheerful paint-job. Joel said, “That’s for children”, and tried to drag me away but I hadto see inside.

I pushed my way past the girl minding the door. She was trying to shut it but I squeezed through and entered a chamber with a dozen kids, 2 parents and a man in a blue jacket.

COOL! A bus/classroom to educate kids about water.

I was instantly comforted, forgot all about zoo trauma, and was excited to learn more. I watched a unique demonstration of how water evaporates then rises to the top of the mountains, falls as rain, gets filtered by the land then returns to the ocean. At least, that’s what I think he was saying. (My Spanish is pretty limited.) He had a nifty switch panel that turned on lights and accentuated his model and presentation.

Next he played a short video that reinforced what he had just taught the kids. It had flashy graphics and lots of animations. The children were engaged. I watched them watching. It inspires me to see young people learning about nature and our precious resources, especially water. The video showed statistics for how many liters per day each Peruvian needed. The numbers were way lower than what North Americans use. I shuffled uncomfortably when the comparison table was showing.

When the video was over, Marc (the blue jacketed man) quizzed the kids and answered questions. It was encouraging to see genuine interest from the kids and infectious passion from the host. When the discussion ended he slid open a door and we entered the back half of the bus. Marc circled the room and pointed to the information displayed prominently on the walls. There was a final round of Q&A followed by another video and a few more questions to finish the water lesson. Afterward each child was presented with a T-shirt from the water authority (Authoridad Nacional de la Agua) and they were shuffled out the back door to clear way for the next group. It was a perfect finish to a challenging day for me. I was inspired by the program. After spending 3 months focused on exposing the problems in Peru, it was refreshing to see someone sharing solutions.

I keep saying, education is the answer. We need to reach the children.

Teach them to recycle, reuse, rethink, reduce, and refuse. Show them how to grow food. Provide them with opportunities to engage with nature… Nurture a connection and respect for the environment. Encourage a sense of responsibility for our natural resources.

The adults of the past few decades haven’t been doing such a great job. Here’s hoping this next generation does better.

This morning I received good news and bad news. The good news is that the footage of illegal mining that I have been trying to get from a Peruvian television station will be made available to me. The news segment was an exclusive report which covered the raid and closure of a gold mining

Madre de Dios River, Peru

operation on the Madre de Dios River. I had tried to get my own footage of that region but there are new (they spring up overnight) illegal mines all over the area and it is extemely dangerous. (It’s especially for a blond haired blue eyed girl like me! I stick out like a sore thumb in the jungle) So after weeks of email exchange in badly translated spanish, I have been given the rights to use the footage. The bad news… it’s $500 per minute and the special is 10:56 long.

So, here I am again, asking for more money. I need this footage! It shows the devastation and corruption that I was not able to capture myself. I could describe the activity but it just wouldn’t have the same impact that the images do. You know the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words? Well in this case, the video is worth $5,500.

I’m almost finished filming this documentary. I have a few more interviews to capture here in Lima and then I return to Canada where I will start post production. I never budgeted for stock footage when I considered the costs for production, but this expense is still a small price to pay for the value of the video. Also, it contains an interview with the head of the ministry of mining and I have been unable to secure an interview with him. It’s too dangerous to ask questions of some people. Did you see my reports on activists being killed? So please share this update and donate to this film if you can. You can email transfer directly to me which means I get 100% of the funds, (GoFundMe takes a percentage for admin and operating costs)
Thanks to everyone for supporting me on this incredible journey. I can’t wait to show you the results of my investigations. Peruvian Heartache is an important film that demonstrates how crucial it is that we protect our culture, traditions and our planet.
Gracias!
— excerpt from email reply
“Por políticas del canal nosotros tenemos unas tarifas establecidas para este tipo de solicitudes.

While world leaders were meeting in Paris for climate talks, an ambitious group of indigenous leaders were holding their own meetings in the Amazon Rainforest. Although at this time they are not recognised by the government of Peru, they are fighting to protect their lands by creating a Nation of unity. more…

Travelling to Peru has reminded me that we as North Americans take many things for granted. Important things like fresh air, clean water, nutritious food and good education. Access to health care, cutting edge drugs and technologically advanced procedures are not as appreciated as they should be. We often complain because we have to wait for treatment… sometimes hours, sometimes days, in the worst cases weeks or months… but eventually, in most instances, we get the care that we need.

I remember having a toothache over a long weekend and having to wait until Monday to see a dentist. I could have paid extra and seen one on an emergency basis but I chose to tough-it-out and suffer for the savings. When I see so many people in Peru with missing teeth I wonder how long they had to wait… or if they had a friend or family member pull the tooth for them.

I have visited many schools in this country. Most had sparse furnishings, little or no books, shortage of staff and no luxuries like libraries, gymnasiums or art studios. There were no fitness programs, no football teams, chess clubs, yearbook or student council. Lucky schools have soccer fields. Now I can understand why soccer (usually called football) is so popular in many developing countries; you don’t need special equipment, just a relatively flat open area and a ball. I watched some children playing beside their classroom and an image from a film I had seen years ago came to mind. Boys playing soccer in a Kurdish slum, the ball went out of bounds and a brave child went to retrieve it despite passionate pleas to leave it by the others… apparently it was in a minefield. Neither child nor ball returned.

I had witnessed just recently the pleasure that was given when a group of volunteers from Australia, (Reach Out Volunteers) visited a small school high up in the Andes. They passed out colored pencils and fancy pens, toys and toothbrushes, clothing and books. Some of the children sat quietly staring at their rich rewards while others clamored for more, stretching their hands high into the air and waving frantically as they called out. It was like a Christmas that they had never had. A few of the children guarded their booty close to their chests while some, who recognizing that they had received more than others, re-distributed portions of their new found wealth to those who had less.

One thing for certain was, they were all grateful. Grateful for toothpaste and pencils! The teacher gathered some of the books and placed them on an empty shelf, there were tears in her eyes. I turned away and choked back my own. I felt selfish and dirty. I had so much and they had so little. What was their crime to serve a lifetime in poverty? I looked into the eyes of these beautiful children and saw more than hope, they were as proud as kings. They were oblivious to their situation. They sang a song for us in the native language of Quechua. They were only in first grade but they managed to sing in unison and acted out the motions with their hands.

When the song was finished they asked us to sing. We were all lost for a response… standing like idiots with our arms at our sides fearing a performance for 5 and 6 year olds. After a few moments of their chanting and pleading I suggested Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star since I guessed it was a tune we all knew well. The group agreed and we returned the favor with a less then enthusiastic rendition. Most of the volunteers were overcome with emotion. The few that could sing tried to fill in the gaps and hold the tune for the first verse at least. Despite our catastrophic performance the children were delighted. They cheered and clapped then each one rose and presented us with a paper flower that they had made. I looked at my purple crepe paper creation and acknowledged that it was probably made with the last scraps of their art supplies. They were priceless gifts. Compared to the ones we had offered, the ones bought with disposable income, the paper flowers seemed like treasures.

Today is December 28th. Just 3 days since Christmas. I think about my own 9 grandchildren and wonder what gifts they received this year. Did they appreciate them as much as these children did? They’re so privileged yet they are innocently ignorant to their status. North American children compare themselves to the other children of their neighborhoods and the children on television and in movies. They dream of owning sports cars, mansions and racehorses. The children of Misminay dream of owning a herd of sheep, a comfortable bed or plot of land to plant potatoes.

I had time to reflect on these things this morning because I was missing something else we have easy access to, the internet. Unlimited, immediate, communication ability! I admit freely that I’m a junkie! I am an information addict. I always want instant answers to everything. I seek the truth and dig for facts.

The stats can be manipulated but my judgment is unbiased, these people are poor. The county is rich in resources but that wealth is being swallowed up into the bellies of big business and corrupt government. The fertile soil is being contaminated by mining and logging operations. These companies, (Many are Canadian owned) have devastated the landscape leaving nothing but toxic waste and hardship for the people.

We’re all guilty. We buy the products. We demand the products. We stand in line for iPhones and gadgetry. Our appetite gobbles up more than we are entitled to and the people in third and forth world countries are the ones who suffer from hunger as a result. Where they once had plantations for bananas and corn, they now have contaminated sludge. The wood they once burned to cook their food and heat their homes now ships to China to be fabricated into fine furniture. The lands stripped bare and left untended. There are no replanting programs here. No regulations for toxic spills or disposal of hazardous chemicals. Unbeknown to many, we are systematically poisoning and starving these people. Our greed leaves their bellies empty. Our over-consumption causes their death by mercury poisoning. Our lust for gold and precious minerals outweighs any hopes for the future of these children.

This problem isn’t limited to Peru. It’s a universal disease. An epidemic of uncontrolled proportions, a disease called greed which leaves its scar upon many countries: Brazil for trees, Ecuador for minerals, Thailand for shrimp, Malaysia for palm oil, Ghana for precious metals, and Canada for petroleum. Yes, my own country is suffering from this deadly disease. Where once stood pristine forests now sits tailing ponds of poisonous liquid which seeps into the water table and flows into the lands. Our Indigenous people are paying the price for cheap oil; herds of elk, schools of fish and flocks of birds eradicated by the toxins… just so that we can drive our fancy SUVs and heat our humungous houses.

If you feel guilty while reading this, I’m happy. I’ve struck a nerve and made my point. We need to start taking responsibility for our actions. We need to curb our appetite for trinkets and bobbles. Technology is good and I’m not saying that we don’t deserve it, but do you really need to rush out and buy the latest version of that new Smartphone? Do you need a bigger TV? Do you need a new dining room table? Isn’t the old one just fine? Can’t you wait until you absolutely and trulyneed something? Why are we so driven to consume so much?

Buy, buy, and buy more!

We have been corrupted by the media into thinking that we are entitled to a disposable lifestyle. Plastic is replacing long-lasting items like glass and metal. When we’re done with it, we simply throw it away. It’s just junk. We buy junk everyday. Bottled water, plastic bags, disposable razors… Are they really better than what they are replacing?

I watched in amazement as a shoemaker re-built a pair of running shoes. A pair so easily discarded in North America is made new at the hands of a craftsman here. All the scraps are carefully guarded for use later. An electric kettle gets a new heater coil in minutes, a rip in a backpack sewn in seconds; items that would have been sent to the landfill in privileged communities are regenerated for a second life by the poor.

It’s been an education just doing my laundry. You can’t imagine how careful one becomes when we have to wash our clothes by hand. Each drop of water is a precious commodity, first step the washing, then using the discarded water to flush the toilet. Second step rinsing, then the water is used to clean floors or for the flowers and plants. Finally, the clothes are hung to dry in the sun. My bath towel is a 12 x 12 inch microfiber cloth… it’s used for washing and drying my body and I’m just as clean as I am after a 5 minute shower. Each night the water in our apartment in Lima shuts down to restore the pressure. You think twice before flushing the toilet and develop a habit to prepare for bed long before the taps run dry.

North Americans would be shocked at the lack of water or electricity in many foreign countries. In Lima, the capital city of Peru, we had no power in the apartment for almost 2 days (just before Christmas). No one complained; no one went crazy and demanded restoration in time to cook festive dinners. There was a calm acceptance that almost made me forget what we were lacking. We sat around the glow of a cell phone and chatted for the evening. I wasn’t sure about offering up the battery in my own phone at first, but later discovered I had a wonderful application called Torch that utilized the camera flash and illuminated the room beautifully. I was happy to bring some light into a dim situation.

We have alternatives, we have a choice. Each choice we make affects others. That is the point I want to drive home. We have such an unearned sense of entitlement and at what expense? Do you ever stop to think, who is paying the price? There are over 7 Billion people on this planet yet 80% of its resources are consumed by only 20% of the people. Our actions directly affect the lives of others. Each drop of oil we burn pollutes those who have none, each plastic bottle we throw away leaves someone else to deal with the garbage, each steak we BBQ leaves another belly empty.

People tell me in defense of themselves, I work hard! I deserve these luxuries. I don’t dispute that. I just want you to understand that there is someone else, somewhere else in the world that gets up at dawn and toils all day but returns home to a meager existence. They breathe the air that we polluted, they drink the water that we contaminated and their crops are failing because we created global warming.

Who is to blame? We are. We vote for crooked politicians, we invested in big business; we buy products made in sweat shops so we can save a dime. We take more than our fair share. It’s time to learn from that child who redistributed his gifts. We need to share what we have with those who have less. Poverty is a disease that we have been perpetuating.

Stop Reset Go!

Stop over consuming and polluting

Reset our mindset to be mindful of others and our environment. Eradicate greed!

Go make a difference! The responsibility is ours.

I know it may seem simple when you look at it like that, but in fact it’s a complex problem with a long history. I don’t like to point fingers or oversimplify things but I am compelled to do so because of the urgency of the situation. People are dying because of our habits. Children are starving because of our consumption. Thereare solutions, there is enough for everyone.

Education is the starting point. Well educated people become positive contributors.

Let’s start by admitting our fault and taking responsibility. You can help in so many ways. Check out the STOPRESETGO.org website for information, facts and potential solutions.

Support the Peruvian Heartache documentary which will educate and inform others about the issues. Try to make one small change in your life today:

Meatless Mondays is a great way to help curb world hunger. Consumption of meat not only contributes to higher CO2 emissions but stresses our land by using space for growing feed for the cattle and making room for the raising and processing of livestock. If every person in the world stopped eating meat, we would see an immediate drop in CO2 and surplus of grains. Even stopping for one day a week can make a huge difference.

Pledge to stop using single serving water and beverages containers. The plastics we use are a byproduct of the oil and gas industry. Food grade plastics are huge resource drains and are causing massive pollution and besides the consumption of resources. Use a metal, refillable container and significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

Be a water hog! Sure, maybe you live in a place that has lots of fresh clean water. But we are running out. Water is not a renewable resource. When we use it, it is gone! Processing and delivery are also contributors to pollution and resource reduction. Use water wisely. We can’t live without it.

Use public transportation or walk (ride, rollerblade, run) whenever possible. We have become so dependant on personal cars that even our cities are now built to accommodate them. Where we once had small roads or footpaths between houses and services like markets, schools and churches; we now have massive super highways. Asphalt and concrete are not conducive to a healthy environment. Green space is diminishing and so are the resources to build these mega roadways. Get healthy and walk those 5 or 6 blocks to the store.

Support education and business in developing countries. If we don’t protect the resources in other countries it affects us too. The Amazon rainforest is responsible for creating much of the oxygen we breathe. If the indigenous people there aren’t able to protect those lands, we eventually pay the price as well. Well educated people become good contributors to society and that creates global harmony.

Share knowledge, share resources, share food, and share your wealth. Sharing is the key that will lead to a global healing for everyone. Compassion, love and tolerance are bred from sharing. Instead of taking more than your fair share, give to someone who has less. Let a small child in the Andes be your example. There’s plenty for everyone!

I just arrived back in Lima after having spent the past 7 weeks on location. The first month was spent in the highlands of the Andes where I filmed interviews with the indigenous people who are struggling to maintain their traditions and culture despite countless global influences. No matter who I spoke to, or where I went, money almost always was the main problem. The Incas were a people who celebrated and honored a system of reciprocity and currency is not part of their heritage. Unfortunately they have been forced into an existance where they must participate in our capitalistic system. They now have electricity in their homes but must pay a fee to the government, their children need uniforms for school and they must pay for transportation. Some members of the community are more successful than others and it has created a divide in what was once a tightly knit family. Others live in utter poverty, succumb to alcholism or spend money on giant TV’s and sattelite dishes while their children go barefoot and hungry.

Education is the key to alleviating many of these problems but influences like climate change (crops no longer grow because of changes in weather conditions), pollution and contamination from mining or industry, and tourism (explotation) contribute to suffering in complicated and devastating ways. Rampant corruption at all levels of government amplify the effects of disparity and poverty. I am hoping not only to point out the problems in my accounts but also to provide suggestions and implement stategies to alleviate these conditons.

I was relieved to move from the highlands, where I suffered from altitude sickness for most of the time, to the lowlands in the Amazon jungle. Peru is home to 1/4 of the worlds natural forests and I thrived in the lush environment. Fresh air and moisture was an almost instant cure. Unfortunately for many, illegal deforestation and mining have proved otherwise. 9 out of 15 fish in Peru have unsafe mercury levels due to contamination from mining activites. Many of the indigenous farms have been destroyed due to poisoned lands or flooding from operations that have been left to ravage the landscape illegally. The indigenous people have held their ground bravely and battled powerful and greedy forces to try and protect the environment but many have lost their lives due to violence, murder or illness from the toxins.

A modern day version of the wild wild west; guns control the area, law enforcement officials are painfully absent, children attending schools when safe to do so, families torn apart, livestock destroyed, crops failing and workers robbed while returning to their homes. I wasn’t able to film in all the areas because I was scared to death and rightfully wise to keep my distance. Many activists have lost their lives attempting to stand their ground. I wept when we found giant trees butchered and left to rot for morsels of choice wood likely bound for Mexico or the US… I swallowed my tears and held a brave face when sharing a river boat with a family that was fleeing their land… my heart is heavy… Peruvian Heartache is a story that begs to be heard.

Have you invested in Gold in recent years? Chances are someone lost their life trying to protect the rainforest it was stripped from. Do you have a new dining room table? Perhaps the wood was stolen from a national reserve in the forest that is responsible for creating more than 20% of the oxygen in the world.

Please help me to finish this important film. I have excellent profiles of the locals, revealing images of the devastation and alarming information about the secrets being concealed in this country struggling to maintain its culture and traditions. I have nearly exhausted my funds and need to find additional resources for a few more weeks of filming and then post production. Luckily I have been blessed with the generosity of many who have contributed both time and resources to help capture this story, but editing is tedious and expensive. I have a burning desire to get this film to the public as quickly as possible so that we can help save both people and protect the health of the lands.

I can also use your help in spreading the word. I need airmiles for travel (for both me and crew) and any other assistance you can offer. I don’t want to beg, but I am! Never have I felt as strongly about shouting a warning to the world as now.

Thanks for your support and well wishes. Can’t wait to share this amazing story with you all.

Each of these posts was written by different members of the Reach Out Volunteer team. It has been an enriching experience for me capturing their work, travels and experiences for our film and pleasure to have gotten to know them a bit.

The train ride back from Machu Picchu was bitter sweet. I was happy to be heading back to Cusco and to get caught up on my correspondence… but I knew that I may never again get the opportunity to visit all the amazing places that we had been too. These posts will be a lasting memory of those days. Posts for Day 1 through 3 have already been put to my facebook, but are also available on the wordpress site.

We are on our final 2 days of the 14 day journey… today we visit an animal rescue center, an artisan center that fabricates silver jewelry and a baby alpaca factory for tapestries and textiles.

Walking around the streets of Cusco is like being inside movie. As a filmmaker who scrutinizes each scene, I find myself rubber-necking almost constantly. The colors, the textures, the cacophony and sharpness in the area are hypnotic and mesmerizing.

I stopped carrying my camera while exploring since it made me a target. Not for robbery, the streets here are very safe, but for vendors and artists and shoe shine boys all enthusiastically trying to earn my attention and dollars.

Also, all the children here want there photos taken, not for money but for posterities sake. They dive in front of the lens and shout, Photo! Photo!

I could wander for hours and never get bored…. but I have a film to finish so I better get back to translating our footage.

Today I ventured out solo on a day trip to Urubamba in the Sacred Valley. I had been introduced to Caroline Putnam via a mutual friend on Facebook and wanted to hear about her experiences living and working with the Q’ero (an indigenous tribe living at over 15,000 and in one the most remote areas of the Andes) Since she is originally from Louisiana I was able to interview her without needing an interpretor.
As per the usual drill, I took a taxi from the house, it cost me more than usual since I got the tourist rate, then caught a van to valley. I sat beside the only other fair haired girl, Katrina from Germany. We instantly struck up a conversation, exchanged ideas and shared experiences on the hour long trip through the mountains. It’s always such a treat to connect with kindred spirits on my journeys and Katrine was no exception.

When we arrived in Urubamba about half the passengers got out while Katrine stayed to continue on to Ollantaytambo. I admire women who travel solo in foriegn lands, especially in countries where they don’t speak the language. I wished her well, paid the driver, then searched for a payphone to contact Caroline. The phone was out of service so I was directed to another, also not working. Three men had been watching me and when I walked toward them in hopes of being directed to a functional payphone one of them pulled a cell phone from his breast pocket and handed it to me.
Wow! I didn’t even have to struggle with trying to make myself understood in limited spanish. I made my call and minutes later Caroline pulled up on her motorcycle and handed me a helmet.
Her house was nearby and I saw my first glimpse of North and South American fusion.

Caroline Putnam

Caroline has lived in Urubamba for 2 years with her partner who was from the Q’ero nation but whom she originally met in Lima. They have plans to marry soon and it will be the first mix of an outsider into the strictly closed Q’eros indigenous community. We spent several hours talking about our goals and priorities then moved from the kitchen/dining/living room to her meditation room (an outbuilding on the property) where she had invited me for a sonic healing session.

Using voice, drum, bells, rattle, smudge stick, insense and essential oils, Caroline called upon the sonic vibration and energy within and surrounding me to facilitate a healing and unification of my spirit. It was an enriching experience and I enjoyed the sensations created by her intentions. I recorded the session so will try to post a soundbite later.

When she was finished we sat quietly for a few minutes then talked about our experiences during the ceremony and gave thanks for the experience. We returned to the house where she shared a meal of vegetable soup plus avocado and salsa wrapped in seaweed with me. I gathered my notes from our earlier conversation, my camera and recording equipment then we chose the meditation room to film the interview. It was interesting to hear a North Americans’ perspective of the indeginous people of Peru, especially from someone so spiritually attuned and in a serious relationship with one of its natives.

I could easily understand her attraction to the people and the culture since I myself was falling under their spell. Her insights and perspective however, seemed to come more from a point of a local than that of a foriegner. After we finished her interview I had an opportunity to speak with her brother in law who was in the process of searching for land to relocate his family from their home in the hilltops down to the town of Urubamba. Ricardo is a Maestro (medicine man) 24 years old with 4 small children. He needed to find practical work to augment his earnings as a maestro (master)
He sat chewing coca leaves while Caroline interpreted for me.

Ricardo Apaza Cruz

I learned more about the coca leaves from Ricardo and Caroline. A vital part of the Indigenous culture, they help not only with problems associated with high altitude but a host of other health concerns. Plant based medicine is the primary basis of the Maestro’s arsenal of cures. The knowledge is passed down from generation to generation but there is danger in losing these traditional ways since the young people today are more interested in technologies and modern affairs.

When I started planning this documentary back in April, I had a pretty good idea of the story I wanted to tell. I knew that there was a recurring theme around the world and I decided to film people who were attempting to live sustainable alternative lifestyles. It seems there’s been an awakening of sorts… people are beginning to realize that we can no longer sustain ourselves and keep our planet healthy by continuing to use methods employed in the past half a century.

Dark Days Ahead

I thought about the indigenous people in Canada, in North America, and partially credited them with preserving what little pristine land we had left. There could likely have been pipelines running all over the continent if not for their actions, (along with activists and concerned citizens) to halt the agressive devastation caused by the so called, industrial powerhouses. I was certain that many of those First Nations were living below the poverty level and I imagined the same was true all over the world.

But does not having money really make you poor?

After spending nearly a month in Peru I have discovered that the indigenous peoples are just as impovershed, just as disadvantaged but just as fierce in their efforts to maintain their traditions and return to the ancient ways. Sure, they have electricity, and many have cell phones, but they have recognized that we need to respect and protect mother earth or we’re all headed down a very dark path.

I have listened to their stories and heard their call for help. Now it’s my duty to share that information with the world. I have been forced to change course and subject matter for the film, just was we need to change the way we live.

One of the things that has been knawing away at me since my arrival in Peru is the amount of plastic being used. Plactic bags, bottles, dishes… it seems in direct contradiction to their goals to achieve a healthier planet. High atop the mountains are piles of garbage displaying a rainbow of plastic… blue, green, yellow and if you look closely you can see the clear bottles which somehow missed the recycling pile.

Kudos to the city of San Francisco for becoming the first city in America to ban the sale and use of single serving plastic bottles! There are bans in some national parks aready and also at some Universities, but this is the first US city to make such a move.

Rowanda banned plastic bags in 2012 and is now one of the cleanest countries in Africa. Banning plastic bags and bottles is a small step, but it’s definately going in the right direction.

Plastic is killing us, and the earth!

United Nations News Centre – image credit

Please consider buying a refillable water bottle and using cloth shopping sacs and alternatives like mason jars for storing foods. We managed for thousands of years without the use of plastic, we can manage again.

I´m excited to share important news that became official today. The Peruvian Government has declared Sierra del Divisor a National Park which is protecting 1.3 million hectares (3.3 million acres) The deal was almost 10 years in the making but was announced on Friday with the documents officially inked today.

Since my arrival in Peru I have been made aware of the many hardships of the Indigenous people. Of great concern are a group of uncontacted tribes that live within the parks´ boundaries.

The diversity both of plants and wildlife in this area is HUGE and protecting this region benefits not only Peru but the rest of the world. The area harbors many endangered species.

Announcing the declaration in time for the Climate talks in Paris he says…

“The creation of the Sierra del Divisor National Park is a historic event, It is a confirmation of the Peruvian government’s commitment to conservation, sustainable development and the fight against climate change.”